Written Answers Tuesday 20 June 2006

Scottish Executive

Adoption

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-25794 by Robert Brown on 17 May 2006, whilst it is not aware of any targets for adoption set by local authorities, whether it has set any targets for adoption of children.

Robert Brown: The Scottish Executive has not set targets for the adoption of children.

Apprenticeships

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many modern apprenticeships have been taken up by residents of the (a) West Dunbartonshire and (b) Argyll and Bute local authority area in each year since 1999.

Allan Wilson: The number of modern apprentices (MAs) broken down by local authority area and by year is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. This information is not held centrally.

  However, Scottish Enterprise have published MA figures which include the parliamentary constituency of Dumbarton as well as Dunbartonshire local enterprise company area. These are now in the public domain and can be found on their website:

  www.scottish-enterprise.com/sedotcom_home/training-providers-top/training-providers/performance-and-reports.htm?siblingtoggle=1.

Apprenticeships

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional funding has been allocated for modern apprenticeships in (a) West Dunbartonshire and (b) Argyll and Bute in each year since 2003.

Allan Wilson: The amount of funding allocated for modern apprentices (MA) in a particular local authority area, parliamentary constituency or by year is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. This information is not held centrally.

  At the 2002 spending review, the Executive allocated an additional £25 million pounds to the enterprise networks for the period 2003 to 2006 to increase the number of modern apprentices in training.

  The enterprise networks publish their annual reports and accounts which contain the total expenditure on learning and skills, of which the MA programme is a part. These can be found at:

  http://www.scottish-enterprise.com/sedotcom_home/about_se/research-and-publications.htm#annual_report_and_accounts and http://www.hie.co.uk/corporate-publications.htm.

Autism

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children in each local authority area have been taken into care in each year since 1995 and, of these, how many were diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder.

Robert Brown: The numbers of children who started to be looked after in each year since 1999-2000 are shown in the following table. Information for previous years, and information about how many children starting to be looked after were diagnosed with an autistic spectrum disorder, are not held centrally. However, information about the number of children looked after as at 31 March each year since 2000 with autism is presented at a national level in Children’s Social Work Statistics 2004-05 (Bib. number 38157). This information is not provided at local authority level because much of the data would need to be suppressed to protect confidentiality.

  

 Local Authority Area
 1999-2000
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05


 Aberdeen City
 247
 199
 194
 235
 193
 303


 Aberdeenshire
 227
 118
 116
 114
 160
 163


 Angus
 54
 52
 73
 70
 79
 79


 Argyll and Bute
 143
 131
 138
 110
 85
 80


 Clackmannanshire
 30
 37
 59
 54
 64
 72


 Dumfries and Galloway
 135
 137
 183
 161
 126
 134


 Dundee City
 206
 163
 176
 172
 209
 222


 East Ayrshire
 120
 141
 126
 143
 124
 85


 East Dunbartonshire
 62
 42
 29
 43
 41
 33


 East Lothian
 64
 120
 110
 88
 83
 63


 East Renfrewshire
 56
 16
 25
 14
 44
 18


 Edinburgh, City of
 352
 449
 404
 427
 349
 367


 Eilean Siar
 16
 16
 16
 20
 19
 35


 Falkirk
 88
 85
 75
 98
 77
 109


 Fife
 181
 221
 183
 214
 207
 275


 Glasgow City
 861
 922
 717
 671
 680
 593


 Highland
 187
 144
 140
 144
 125
 161


 Inverclyde 
 17
 35
 57
 178
 125
 107


 Midlothian
 129
 88
 73
 69
 81
 82


 Moray
 46
 32
 226
 174
 109
 142


 North Ayrshire
 192
 208
 155
 108
 141
 151


 North Lanarkshire
 289
 290
 250
 258
 212
 125


 Orkney Isles
 17
 15
 10
 7
 17
 11


 Perth and Kinross
 97
 88
 68
 57
 63
 49


 Renfrewshire
 119
 176
 264
 264
 242
 160


 Scottish Borders
 105
 88
 81
 93
 88
 78


 Shetland
 12
 9
 6
 9
 8
 9


 South Ayrshire
 76
 89
 131
 76
 130
 107


 South Lanarkshire 
 236
 275
 214
 171
 139
 189


 Stirling
 89
 68
 67
 71
 63
 51


 West Dunbartonshire
 135
 118
 127
 115
 125
 132


 West Lothian
 184
 122
 185
 85
 357
 148


 Scotland
 4,771
 4,694
 4,678
 4,513
 4,564
 4,333

Autism

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many special educational needs placement appeals were made to sheriff courts in each year from 1995 to 1999 and, of these, what percentage were (a) successful and (b) in respect of children with an autistic spectrum disorder, broken down by local authority.

Robert Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-26123 on 6 June 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Autism

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many special educational needs placement appeals were made to appeals hearing committees in each year from 1995 to 1999 and, of these, what percentage were (a) successful and (b) in respect of children with an autistic spectrum disorder, broken down by local authority.

Robert Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-26122 on 6 June 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Autism

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many records of needs appeals there were in each year from 1995 to 1999 and, of these, what percentage were (a) successful and (b) in respect of children with an autistic spectrum disorder.

Robert Brown: There was a small number of appeals at national level and, in order to prevent disclosure of individuals, it is not possible to provide a breakdown by local authorities. The following table sets out the numbers of appeals received in each year form 1995 to 1999; the numbers of appeals in respect of pupils with autism spectrum disorder, and the outcomes.

  Record of Needs Appeals Referred to Scottish Ministers, 1995-99

  

 Year
 Number of Record of Needs Appeals Referred to Scottish Ministers
 Number of Appeals Relating to a Pupils with ASD
 Number of Decisions Upholding the Parental Appeal


 1995
 15
 *
 8


 1996
 14
 *
 5


 1997
 21
 *
 10


 1998
 16
 *
 5


 1999
 36
 10
 18



  Note: *Where the number is under five, the true figure has not been revealed for disclosure purposes.

Autism

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much was allocated to each local authority education department for autism-related training courses for teachers in each year from 1995 to 1999.

Robert Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-25680 on 15 May 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Benefits

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how many crisis loans have been (a) applied for and (b) granted in each of the last five years in each local authority area in Scotland.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive does not hold information on crisis loans, which are a reserved matter for which the Department for Work and Pensions is responsible.

Central Heating Programme

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what further changes it will make to the warm deal programme.

Malcolm Chisholm: From January 2007 eligibility for the Warm Deal will be expanded to include households with a child in receipt of Disability Living Allowance.

  In addition, we are working with COSLA and the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations to have Warm Deal installations in the public sector carried out locally by local authorities and housing associations. This will reduce programme costs allowing more Warm Deal installations, and will help housing associations and local authorities meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standards and the Home Energy Conservation Act targets.

Child Care

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive when Professor Jane Aldgate’s report on the needs of kinship carers will be published.

Robert Brown: Professor Aldgate’s report is one of several supporting documents for a wider review of services and outcomes for looked after children in Scotland, carried out by the Social Work Inspection Agency. It will be published shortly, alongside the main report.

Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff were disciplined following investigation into the fraudulent manipulation of witness expense claim forms at the Procurator Fiscal’s Office in Glasgow in 2004-05.

Colin Boyd QC: One member of Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service staff was suspended from duty during the investigation into the allegations and has since been successfully prosecuted. The former member of staff resigned before being dismissed.

Education

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what revenue funding was allocated to local authorities for pre-school education (a) in total and (b) broken down by local authority in 2004-05.

Robert Brown: The following table contains a list of the Grant Aided Expenditure (GAE) allocations to local authorities (and an all Scotland total) for pre-school education in 2004-05.

  This information is available on the Scottish Executive website at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/18209/GB0405.

  It should be noted that these figures are not budgets or spending targets but part of the more complex local government funding formula used to allocate one block grant figure to each council. It is up to each council to decide how best to allocate their resources based on their local needs and priorities.

  

 
GAE for Pre-School Education(£000)


 Scotland 
 146,264


 Aberdeen City 
 5,116


 Aberdeenshire
 7,644


 Angus
 3,313


 Argyll and Bute
 2,718


 Clackmannanshire
 1,474


 Dumfries and Galloway
 4,813


 Dundee City 
 4,074


 East Ayrshire
 3,372


 East Dunbartonshire 
 2,953


 East Lothian 
 2,696


 East Renfrewshire 
 2,737


 Edinburgh, City of
 11,053


 Eilean Siar
 894


 Falkirk 
 3,996


 Fife 
 9,488


 Glasgow City 
 16,013


 Highland 
 6,987


 Inverclyde
 2,208


 Midlothian 
 2,387


 Moray
 2,930


 North Ayrshire
 3,749


 North Lanarkshire 
 9,411


 Orkney Islands 
 689


 Perth and Kinross
 4,175


 Renfrewshire
 5,013


 Scottish Borders
 3,426


 Shetland Islands 
 1,023


 South Ayrshire
 2,860


 South Lanarkshire 
 8,611


 Stirling 
 2,741


 West Dunbartonshire 
 2,798


 West Lothian 
 4,901

Education

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the revenue expenditure on pre-primary education by local authorities was (a) in total and (b) broken down by local authority in 2004-05.

Robert Brown: The net revenue expenditure on pre-primary education in 2004-05 is shown in the following table.

  The net revenue expenditure figures include a range of expenditure types, for example nursery schools, child care services and other under fives provision not located in primary or special schools.

  Net revenue expenditure figures and grant aided expenditure (GAE) allocations are not directly comparable. GAE allocations make up the more complex local government funding formula used to allocate one block grant figure to each council. It is up to each council to decide how best to allocate their resources based on local need and priorities. A number of GAE allocations are relevant to the types of expenditure included in pre-primary education.

  

 
£000


 Scotland
 242,225


 Aberdeen City
 7,115


 Aberdeenshire
 9,115


 Angus
 4,390


 Argyll and Bute
 4,403


 Clackmannanshire
 2,904


 Dumfries and Galloway
 6,510


 Dundee City
 6,877


 East Ayrshire
 7,111


 East Dunbartonshire
 4,103


 East Lothian
 4,246


 East Renfrewshire
 5,518


 Edinburgh, City of
 15,019


 Eilean Siar
 1,467


 Falkirk
 6,046


 Fife
 16,355


 Glasgow City
 39,165


 Highland
 8,370


 Inverclyde
 4,827


 Midlothian
 4,294


 Moray
 3,687


 North Ayrshire
 6,357


 North Lanarkshire
 15,998


 Orkney Islands
 805


 Perth and Kinross
 5,027


 Renfrewshire
 10,464


 Scottish Borders
 4,222


 Shetland Islands
 1,296


 South Ayrshire
 4,504


 South Lanarkshire
 11,709


 Stirling
 4,862


 West Dunbartonshire
 6,855


 West Lothian
 8,604



  Source: LFR 1 (Education) Returns.

Education

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what revenue funding was allocated to local authorities for pre-school education per child (a) in Scotland and (b) broken down by local authority in 2004-05.

Robert Brown: Grant aided expenditure allocations for pre-school education are not made on a "per child" basis. There are a number of factors and indicators used in the formula for allocation including projections of numbers of three and four year olds and an element for rurality.

  Figures for the GAE allocations for 2004-05 for each local authority are provided in the answer to question S2W-26631 on 20 June 2006. They are available on the Scottish Executive website at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/18209/GB0405

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facility for which can be at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Education

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the revenue expenditure by local authorities on pre-primary education was per child (a) in Scotland and (b) broken down by local authority in 2004-05.

Robert Brown: Net revenue expenditure data is not provided by local authorities on a per child basis. Information on net revenue expenditure by local authority is provided in the answer to question S2W-26632 on 20 June 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scotish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Education

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-25679 by Peter Peacock on 15 May 2006, what funds were allocated to local authority education departments for continuous professional development in each year from 1995-96 to 1998-99.

Peter Peacock: Funding for continuing professional development (CPD) from 1995-96 to 1998-99 would have come from local authorities general allocation. We are therefore unable to separately identify the amounts allocated for continuing professional development for these years.

  The agreement A Teaching Profession for the 21st Century contained a contractual requirement for each teacher to undertake an additional 35 hours CPD per year. To assist with the implementation of this initiative a separate allocation for CPD has been given to authorities since 2001-02

Employment

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to reduce the gap between unemployment rates in the areas of lowest employment in (a) the Dumbarton parliamentary constituency and (b) Scotland as a whole and whether this gap has reduced since 1999.

Allan Wilson: West Dunbartonshire is one of the seven areas identified in the Scottish Executive’s Closing the Opportunity Targets as having the highest levels of working age benefit claimants in Scotland. Along with Dundee, Glasgow, South and North Lanarkshire, Inverclyde and Renfrewshire, West Dunbartonshire has worked with the Executive to set itself a target to reduce benefit dependency. The combined target across these areas is to reduce benefit claimants by 30,000 by 2007 and 66,000 by 2010. West Dunbartonshire’s target is 840 and 2,190 respectively.

  On Monday 12 June, I launched Workforce Plus An Employability Framework for Scotland which aims to help more people, particularly those disadvantaged in the labour market, into work. At the same event on Monday, Malcolm Chisholm announced funding for the seven Closing the Opportunity Gap areas totalling £11 million over the next two years to assist local partners in bringing together local partners to achieve the target. West Dunbartonshire has been allocated £840,000 of this total.

  Since 1999, unemployment rates have dropped in Scotland by 1.5 percentage points, and in Dumbarton constituency by 1.7 percentage points. The following table sets out the changes since 1999 in the worst five areas in the Dumbarton constituency.

  

 Area
 Claimant Count Unemployment Level
 Claimant Count Unemployment Rate


 1999
 2004
 % Change
 1999
 2004
 % Point Change


 Dumbarton North
 261 
 164
 -37%
 11.8%
 10.4%
 -1.4%


 Dumbarton West
 280 
 187
 -33%
 11.0%
 9.2%
 -1.8%


 Bonhill East
 234 
 167
 -29%
 8.1%
 7.1%
 -1.0%


 Helensburgh East
 155 
 107
 -31%
 7.3%
 5.8%
 -1.5%


 Renton/Alexandria South
 172 
 150
 -13%
 7.2%
 6.3%
 -0.9%



  Source: Claimant count administrative database.

Employment

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to increase the employment rates of disadvantaged groups, such as lone parents or ethnic minorities, in the Dumbarton parliamentary constituency.

Allan Wilson: On 12 June 2006, I launched Workforce Plus, An Employability Framework for Scotland. The framework aims to help more disadvantaged individuals, including lone parents and ethnic minorities towards and into sustained employment by setting out the actions required at both nation and local level to achieve this.

  The framework is targeted at seven Closing the Opportunity Gap areas, including West Dunbartonshire, with the highest levels of benefit claimants in Scotland. These areas have set a combined target to reduce benefit claimants by 30,000 by 20007 and 66,000 by 2010. The West Dunbartonshire component of these targets is 840 and 2,190 respectively. We have allocated £840,000 to West Dunbartonshire Community Planning Partnership over the next two years to assist local partners in bringing together services to help achieve this target.

Employment

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in the Dumbarton parliamentary constituency have gone into jobs from the New Deal.

Allan Wilson: The following table sets out the number of people who have moved into jobs in Dumbarton through the various New Deal programmes since their introduction.

  

 Programme
 Individuals into Jobs in Dumbarton


 New Deal for Young People (NDYP)
 1,580


 New Deal 25 plus (ND25+)
 600


 New Deal for Lone Parents (NDLP)
 820


 New Deal 50 plus (ND50+)
 120


 New Deal for Partners (NDP)
 10



  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate.

  Notes:

  1. Figures are rounded to the nearest ten.

  2. Figures for NDYP ND25+ and NDLP are the cumulative totals to November 2005.

  3. Figure for ND50+ is the cumulative total from April 2003 to February 2006.

  4. The NDP figure is the cumulative total from April 2004 to February 2006.

  5. Data are not available at constituency level for New Deal for the Disabled.

Employment

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have benefited from the New Deal in each year since 1999 in (a) West Dunbartonshire, (b) Argyll and Bute and (c) the Dumbarton parliamentary constituency.

Allan Wilson: Table 1 provides information on the number of individuals who started a New Deal programme broken down by type of programme for West Dunbartonshire in each year since 1999. Tables 2 and 3 provide the same information for Argyll and Bute and Dumbarton Scottish Parliamentary Constituency.

  Data on New Deal for Disabled People are not available by detailed geography so data on this programme are not included in the tables.

  Table 1 Number of Individuals Starting New Deal programmes by Type of Programme, West Dunbartonshire, 1999-2005

  

 
 1999
 2000
 2001
 2002
 2003
 2004
 2005


 New Deal for Young People (NDYP)
 330
 360
 350
 380
 350
 490
 490


 New Deal 25plus (ND25+)
 190
 220
 400
 400
 370
 390
 340


 New Deal for Lone Parents (NDLP)
 130
 130
 120
 240
 310
 370
 500


 New Deal 50plus (ND50+)
 N/A
 N/Av
 N/Av
 N/Av
 N/Av
 130
 40


 New Deal for Partners (NDP)
 N/A
 N/A
 N/A
 N/A
 N/A
 -
 -



  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate

  Notes:

  1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

  2. Individuals are placed in the year in which they first started the programme.

  "N/A" Not Applicable, "N/Av" Not Available, "-" nil or negligible.

  Table 2 Number of Individuals Starting New Deal Programmes by Type of Programme, Argyll and Bute, 1999-2005

  

 
 1999
 2000
 2001
 2002
 2003
 2004
 2005


 New Deal for Young People (NDYP)
 210
 230
 250
 210
 230
 250
 260


 New Deal 25plus (ND25+)
 160
 150
 230
 230
 230
 240
 300


 New Deal for Lone Parents (NDLP)
 70
 50
 80
 160
 140
 160
 280


 New Deal 50plus (ND50+)
 N/A
 N/Av
 N/Av
 N/Av
 N/Av
 60
 90


 New Deal for Partners (NDP)
 N/A
 N/A
 N/A
 N/A
 N/A
 20
 20



  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate

  Notes:

  1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

  2. Individuals are placed in the year in which they first started the programme.

  "N/A" Not Applicable, "N/Av" Not Available

  Table 3 Number of individuals starting New Deal programmes by type of programme, Dumbarton, 1999-2005

  

 
 1999
 2000
 2001
 2002
 2003
 2004
 2005


 New Deal for Young People (NDYP)
 240
 280
 250
 260
 220
 300
 330


 New Deal 25plus (ND25+)
 130
 150
 260
 240
 220
 230
 260


 New Deal for Lone Parents (NDLP)
 100
 80
 70
 160
 190
 200
 310


 New Deal 50plus (ND50+)
 N/A
 N/Av
 N/Av
 N/Av
 N/Av
 60
 40


 New Deal for Partners (NDP)
 N/A
 N/A
 N/A
 N/A
 N/A
 -
 -



  Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Information Directorate.

  Notes:

  1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

  2. Individuals are placed in the year in which they first started the programme.

  "N/A" Not Applicable, "N/Av" Not Available, "-" nil or negligible.

Enterprise

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-26487 by Allan Wilson on 8 June 2006, what the cost will be of the evaluation of the Skills for Business Network and how the evaluation will be funded.

Allan Wilson: The total cost of the Skills for Business Network evaluation will be £86,638 excluding VAT. The evaluation is being funded by both the Scottish Executive and the Sector Skills Development Agency.

Enterprise

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-26487 by Allan Wilson on 8 June 2006, who has been commissioned with undertaking the Evaluation of the Skills for Business Network and when the evaluation will be completed

Allan Wilson: The research consultancy GHK have been commissioned to undertake the Skills for Business Network evaluation. The evaluation is due to be completed by the end of June 2006.

Environment

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-26417 by Ross Finnie on 8 June 2006, whether this answer indicates that no specific environmental justice fund for Greengairs will now be established.

Ross Finnie: No, we plan to introduce an environmental justice fund to assist communities in Scotland affected by environmental injustice.

Environment

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-26417 by Ross Finnie on 8 June 2006, how much funding has been committed to Greengairs from the Environmental Justice Fund.

Ross Finnie: There is £1 million available in the Environmental Justice Fund this year. No decisions have been made about the areas of Scotland to which it might be allocated.

Fostering

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive when discussions will take place with COSLA regarding kinship care allowances.

Robert Brown: We need to consider the question of allowances for kinship carers within the broader context of support for kinship carers and assessment of kinship carers. These will be considered as part of our National Fostering Strategy later this year. It will be important that a variety of interested parties, including main stakeholders such as COSLA, are able to input to these discussions.

Health

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to honour its commitment that, under new arrangements for the supply of stoma appliances, all stoma patients will continue to be able to choose to receive their stoma appliances from a community pharmacist or a specialist dispensing appliance contractor.

Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-26420 on 14 June 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Health

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the steering group which has overseen the introduction of new arrangements for the supply of stoma appliances will be invited to reconvene to oversee the scheduled review of these arrangements in the autumn and, if not, whether all members of the existing steering group will be invited to sit on any new group formed for this purpose.

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to ensure that all suppliers of stoma appliances comply with new service standards to protect and enhance the standard of care received by patients and whether suppliers failing to satisfy these requirements will not be allowed to continue to supply stoma appliances.

Lewis Macdonald: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-26419 on 14 June 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Justice

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on (a) police forces, (b) fire brigades and (c) the prison service in the (i) Argyll and Bute and (ii) West Dunbartonshire local authority area in each year since 1999.

Cathy Jamieson: The available information is shown in the following tables. There are no prison establishments in either of these local authority areas.

  Net revenue expenditure on police forces and fire brigades in the Argyll and Bute and West Dunbartonshire local authority areas from 1999-2000

  Police Forces

  

 
1999-2000
(£ Million)
2000-01
(£ Million)
2001-02
(£ Million)
2002-03
(£ Million)
2003-04
(£ Million)
2004-05
(£ Million)


 Argyll and Bute 
 8.302
 8.172
 8.501
 8.304
 9.830
 9.678


 West Dunbartonshire 1
 11.935
 12.033
 12.547
 24.775
 27.648
 27.490



  Source: Local Financial Returns.

  Note: 1. Large increase from 2002-03 due to change in accounting practice.

  Fire Brigades

  

 
1999-2000
(£ Million)
2000-01
(£ Million)
2001-02
(£ Million)
2002-03
(£ Million)
2003-04
(£ Million)
2004-05
(£ Million)


 Argyll and Bute 
 3.027
 3.117
 3.364
 3.550
 3.866
 4.052


 West Dunbartonshire 
 5.482
 5.642
 6.092
 6.428
 6.989
 7.339



  Source: Local Financial Returns.

Justice

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals in the Tayside police force area have had a charge proved in court for carrying a knife or being in possession of an offensive weapon in each of the last two years for which statistics are available.

Cathy Jamieson: The available information is given in the following table.

  Persons in the Tayside Police Force Area with a Charge Proved for Carrying Knives or Offensive Weapons1, 2003-04 and 2004-05

  

 
 Possession of an Offensive Weapon2
 Having in a Public Place an Article with a Blade or a Point
 Total


 2003-04
 82
 45
 127


 2004-05
 90
 74
 164



  Note:

  1. Where main offence.

  2. Knives cannot be identified separately from other types of offensive weapon in the data held for this crime category.

Justice

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Victim Information and Advice (VIA) service routinely provides support for families of victims involved in fatal accident inquiries and, if so, how the service is publicised.

Colin Boyd QC: Victim Information and Advice (VIA) can provide a service to families of victims involved in Fatal Accident Inquiries. The specific availability of this service is referred to in correspondence advising families of initial enquiries into the death by the Procurator Fiscal and more generally publicised on the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) website at www.copfs.gov.uk and in COPFS leaflets providing general information about VIA.

Justice

Mr Charlie Gordon (Glasgow Cathcart) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to end the present system of automatic, unconditional early release from prison.

Cathy Jamieson: We are today publishing a document, The Release and Post Custody Management of Offenders , copies of which are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 39797), that sets out how we will end the current discredited system of unconditional, automatic early release.

  The reforms build on the proposals from the Sentencing Commission’s report on early release, published in January 2006

  Currently, under the Prisoners and Criminal Procedures (Scotland) Act 1993, offenders on short sentences – except sex offenders - are automatically and unconditionally released half way through their sentence, without considering the risk that they pose to the public.

  Under the new system:

  offenders will serve at least 50 per cent of their sentence in prison – though the court will have the option of making this custody part longer to punish or deter individuals if they merit it;

  at the end of the custody part of the sentence, offenders will serve the community part on licence. Conditions can be attached to that licence tailored to the individual offender’s risk and needs, such as a requirement to attend drug or alcohol treatment, restrictions on movement and travel, being subject to electronic tagging, through to close supervision by social workers or the police;

  if at the end of the minimum prison term an offender is still considered to be an unacceptable risk to the public, their case will be referred to the Parole Board to consider keeping them in custody for longer;

  and if an offender is released on licence but breaches the terms of their licence, they will be subject to immediate recall to custody, and

  offenders will be assessed throughout their time in prison so that the authorities are judging an offender’s risk of reoffending at each and every stage.

  Under the current system, Scottish ministers have a role, in practice carried out under delegated authority by the Scottish Prison Service and the Executive’s Justice Department, in the referral of cases to the Parole Board and recall to custody arrangements. We will look at whether this remains the best way of dealing with individuals in such cases or whether there are alternatives that might be considered before introducing legislation.

  The combined structure for managing sentences will apply to all sentences over 14 days. The details of each sentence will be made clear by the court at the time it is imposed.

  Offenders serving 14 days or less will serve the full period in custody.

  These reforms are about offenders but they are for the public. They will ensure more effective management of all prisoners in custody and on release, better targeting of those who continue to pose the greatest risk, and make a significant contribution to reducing reoffending and to making people’s daily lives safer.

Mental Health

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-26016 by Lewis Macdonald on 30 May 2006, whether this answer indicates that it and its agencies, such as the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration, have no records or knowledge of children being taken into care as a result of a referral on the grounds of Munchausen syndrome by proxy in either or both parents.

Robert Brown: The grounds for referral are set out in s52(2) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995. I refer the member to the report published by the Scottish Executive in August 2004 (Bib. number 33946) copies of which are available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Mental Health

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-26016 by Lewis Macdonald on 30 May 2006, what are listed as grounds for referral in section 52 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995.

Robert Brown: Section 52(2) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 states that a child may be in need of compulsory measures of supervision if at least one of a list of conditions is satisfied in respect of the child.

  These conditions are generally referred to as "grounds for referral". There are 12 conditions or grounds which may indicate the child is in need of compulsory measures of supervision as follows:

  The child:

  A. is beyond the control of any relevant person;

  B. is falling into bad associations or is exposed to moral danger;

  C. is likely to suffer unnecessarily or be impaired seriously in his health or development, due to lack of parental care;

  D. is a child in respect of whom a Schedule 1 offence has been committed;

  E. is or is likely to become a member of the same household as a child against whom a Schedule 1 offence has been committed;

  F. is, or is likely to become, a member of the same household as a person who has committed a schedule 1 offence;

  G. is or is likely to become a member of the same household as a person who has committed the offence of incest or sexual intercourse with a child by a step-parent or person in a position of trust;

  H. has failed to attend school regularly without reasonable excuse;

  I. has committed an offence;

  J. has misused alcohol or any drugs, whether or not a controlled drug within the meaning of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971;

  K. has misused a volatile substance by deliberately inhaling its vapour, other than for medicinal purposes, and

  L. is being provided with accommodation by a local authority under section 25, or is the subject of a parental responsibilities order obtained under section 86 and, in either case, his behaviour is such that special measures are necessary for his adequate supervision in his interest or the interest of others.

Mental Health

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the review of cases of referrals of parents accused of Munchausen syndrome by proxy, or fabricating or inducing illness in their children, undertaken by the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration in 2004 has been published and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Robert Brown: The report was published by the Scottish Executive in August 2004 copies of which are available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 33946).

Mental Health

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-26016 by Lewis Macdonald on 30 May 2006, whether section 52 of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 is the only legislation governing the grounds for referral to the Principal Reporter and, if not, what other legislation exists.

Robert Brown: The Children (Scotland) Act 1995 sets out the legal basis for almost all referrals to the Children’s Reporter. There are also some additional legislative provisions which deal with very specific circumstances e.g. if a sheriff or judge convicts an adult in relation to certain specified offences he/she may deem grounds of referral established in relation to a child victim.

Mental Health

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-26016 by Lewis Macdonald on 30 May 2006, if Munchausen syndrome by proxy, or fabricating or inducing illness, are not grounds for referral to the Principal Reporter, how they are defined within existing legislation.

Robert Brown: Munchausen syndrome by proxy is not defined in legislation.

Prison Service

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many foreign nationals were sent to prison in Scotland in each year since 1999 and what information it has on how many were deported upon release.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to (SPS) respond. His response is as follows:

  The figures in the following table show the numbers of prisoners who declared themselves as non-British recorded on the SPS database as admitted to Scottish Prisons.

  This may include multiple admissions of the same prisoner. SPS do not hold records of the numbers of prisoners who were deported upon release.

  

 Year
 Total


 1999
 433


 2000
 537


 2001
 775


 2002
 262


 2003
 299


 2004
 263


 2005
 287


 2006
 122



  These figures include foreign nationals received into prison for all reasons (on remand, sentenced, or held pending deportation).

Prison Service

Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on the reasons for any delay in payment of Scottish Prison Service performance-related pay for 2004-05 and when it anticipates that such payment will be made.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  I refer the member to the question S2W-26453 answered on 19 June 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facility for which can be at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Rendition Flights

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-24680 by Cathy Jamieson on 20 April 2006, whether it received all its communications in relation to "extraordinary rendition" subsequent to 21 November 2005.

Cathy Jamieson: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-26464 on 19 June 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Schools

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Independent): To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals employed in state schools are considered not to be employed by the public sector, such as staff retained on private or PPP contracts.

Peter Peacock: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Scottish Executive Staff

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its staff were disciplined as a result of alleged (a) misconduct, (b) expenses irregularities and (c) travel and related expenses irregularities in each year from 1999-2000 to 2005-06, broken down by department.

Mr Tom McCabe: The following table shows number of Scottish Executive staff who have been disciplined as a result of misconduct broken down by year and core department.

  Department Number Per Year

  

 Department
 1999-2000
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 Total


 Development Department
 0
 4
 2
 2
 0
 0
 0
 8


 Education Department
 0
 3
 2
 2
 0
 1
 0
 8


 Environment and Rural Affairs Department
 0
 2
 2
 3
 6
 5
 6
 24


 Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Dept
 0
 1
 2
 3
 1
 0
 0
 7


 Finance and Central Services Department
 0
 0
 0
 1
 1
 0
 0
 2


 Health Department
 1
 0
 1
 0
 2
 1
 0
 5


 Justice Department
 0
 2
 0
 1
 2
 1
 1
 7


 Office Of The Permanent Secretary
 2
 4
 2
 6
 5
 4
 0
 23


 Total
 3
 16
 11
 18
 17
 12
 7
 84



  In the period 1999-2000 to 2005-06, one member of staff was disciplined as a result of expenses irregularities and one as a result of travel and related expenses irregularities.

Scottish Water

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has assessed the economic effect of Scottish Water’s inability to supply water to new projects in the Highlands.

Rhona Brankin: It is not necessary to do so because over the eight years of the current investment programme, Scottish Water will be funded to remove all estimated constraints on development at a strategic level.

  As you will know from previous correspondence on this issue, the Executive has recognised the importance of the role played by Scottish Water in economic and other development throughout Scotland, and of the importance of providing capacity for new developments in its infrastructure. This and other objectives were formulated from the findings of the expert working groups who worked on the current investment programme.

  The final reports from these groups can be found on the Scottish Executive website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment/Water/17583/PolicyStatements.

Scottish Water

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received from Scottish Water the report of the findings of its review of capacity, in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding between Scottish Water and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency on the management of development constraints caused by sewerage systems and waste water treatment works.

Rhona Brankin: We have received the report as referred to in paragraph 4.5 of the Memorandum of Understanding. In addition, Scottish Water’s Strategic Asset Capacity & Development Plan , which covers capacity availability for both water and wastewater and was published on 31 March 2006, incorporates the current findings of the Memorandum of Understanding. The plan is available on Scottish Water’s website http://www.scottishwater.co.uk .

Scottish Water

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and Scottish Water have met to review available capacity and constraints in all local authority areas, in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding between Scottish Water and SEPA on the management of development constraints caused by sewerage systems and waste water treatment works.

Rhona Brankin: Yes.

Scottish Water

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any delays affecting the review of capacity promised in the Memorandum of Understanding between Scottish Water and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency on the management of development constraints caused by sewerage systems and waste water treatment works and whether the Executive receives regular progress reports on the matter.

Rhona Brankin: The application of the Memorandum of Understanding is an on-going operational matter for Scottish Water and SEPA, and the Scottish Executive receives regular updates on this issue. SEPA and Scottish Water have advised me that there are no delays in this process.

Social Inclusion

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the annual (a) regeneration and (b) social inclusion partnership (SIP) budget was allocated to SIPs in the (i) West Dunbartonshire and (ii) Argyll and Bute local authority area in each year since 1999.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how much additional funding, including through the Better Neighbourhood Services Fund and other such initiatives, it has awarded to (a) Argyll and Bute Council and (b) West Dunbartonshire Council in each year since 1997.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  The Better Neighbourhood Services Fund operated between 2001-02 and 2004-05 when it was merged with the funding provided to Social Inclusion Partnerships (SIPs) to form the Community Regeneration Fund (CRF).

  In addition to the CRF, Communities Scotland also provides grant funding to Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) to support the provision of housing for rent or low cost home ownership. Communities Scotland also provides RSLs with funding from the Wider Role programme to support community regeneration and social inclusion activities.

  Details of the allocation of each of these funding streams are shown as follows:

  West Dunbartonshire Council

  

 
SIP
(£ Million)
BNSF
(£ Million)
CRF
(£ Million)
Housing Grants to RSLs
(£ Million)
RSL Wider Role
(£ Million)
Total
(£ Million)


 1997-98
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 7.122
 n/a
 7.122


 1998-99
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 7.929
 n/a
 7.929


 1999-2000
 2.193
 n/a
 n/a
 6.707
 n/a
 8.900


 2000-01
 2.087
 n/a
 n/a
 8.385
 0.133
 10.605


 2001-02
 2.076
 2.000
 n/a
 10.108
 0.330
 14.514


 2002-03
 2.228
 3.000
 n/a
 7.808
 0.338
 13.374


 2003-04
 2.236
 4.000
 n/a
 7.650
 0.646
 14.532


 2004-05
 2.365
 3.000
 n/a
 9.008
 1.107
 15.480


 2005-06
 n/a
 n/a
 4.956
 12.658
 0.760
 18.374



  Argyll and Bute Council

  

 
SIP
(£ Million)
BNSF
(£ Million)
CRF
(£ Million)
Housing grants to RSLs
(£ Million)
RSL Wider Role
(£ Million)
Total
(£ Million)


 1997-98
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 5.441
 n/a
 5.441


 1998-99
 n/a
 n/a
 n/a
 4.427
 n/a
 4.427


 1999-2000
 0.206
 n/a
 n/a
 5.653
 n/a
 5.859


 2000-01
 0.280
 n/a
 n/a
 4.435
 0
 4.715


 2001-02
 0.369
 0.60
 n/a
 4.057
 0.013
 5.039


 2002-03
 0.379
 0.90
 n/a
 3.642
 0.065
 4.986


 2003-04
 0.370
 1.20
 n/a
 7.288
 0.274
 9.132


 2004-05
 0.369
 0.90
 n/a
 10.690
 0.142
 12.101


 2005-06
 n/a
 n/a
 0.985
 14.979
 0.218
 16.182

Social Inclusion

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many inclusiveness projects there have been in the (a) Argyll and Bute and (b) West Dunbartonshire local authority area in each year since 1999 and how much funding has been allocated to each such project in each year.

Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Communities Scotland manages a number of programmes aimed at promoting social inclusion. Until 31 March 2005, these included the Social Inclusion Partnership Fund (SIP) and the Better Neighbourhood Services Fund (BNSF), and from 1 April 2005 the Community Regeneration Fund. Project information for the SIP and BNSF programmes is not held centrally.

  Information on the Community Regeneration Fund is contained in the Regeneration Outcome Agreements for Argyll and Bute and West Dunbartonshire. These can be viewed on: www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk.

Social Work

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-26018 by Robert Brown on 30 May 2006, whether this answer indicates that social workers do not have to declare to their employers or the Scottish Social Services Council any additional work in which they may be engaged beyond their employment as a registered social worker.

Robert Brown: Provision of full employment history when applying for registration with the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) comprises all work social workers have undertaken since leaving school, including all work undertaken outside social services, work undertaken on a voluntary basis and work outside the UK.

  They are also obliged to inform SSSC about any change in their circumstances including new employment.

  It is a matter for employers to decide what information they require employees to declare.

Training

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-26488 by Allan Wilson on 8 June 2006, whether it has made representations to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills or to the Sector Skills Development Agency for more sector skills councils to be located in Scotland.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive has not made any specific representation to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills nor the Sector Skills Development Agency for any UK-wide Sector Skills Councils to be located in Scotland.